"Hah ~ So boring ~"
Let out a displeasing sigh, I look back at the duo sitting at the door, while myself just casually strolling around the rooftop while watching the unconscious Guild couple.
After making the call to the Agency (and surprising them with our little trophy) we just kinda hung around waiting for them to come pick us up while also paying attention to the surroundings, which is honestly boring to the bones…
Dang it, it's been 30 minutes already?! Where the heck is the Agency?!
"Jouno-san."
While I was expressing my displeasing thoughts, Kyouka suddenly called out to me with an emotionless voice, and I slowly approached her.
"What's wrong, Mrs. Kyouka?"
With a gentle smile, I asked Kyouka in a formal voice.
"… Pardon me, but may I ask you for something?"
"Of course—"
"Did Demon Snow really kill my parents?"
Kyouka, without further patience for my dramatic acts, immediately asked me the question with a slightly tensed expression.
"That's… an interesting question."
"Do you know it or else?"
Kyouka once more pushed me with a clearly impatient voice, not giving me any chance of stalling by any means, now looking deep into my eyes with her beautiful blue eyes, now still being somewhat dull…
"… Before I answer, may I ask for your reason behind that question?"
Still keeping a gentle smile, I asked her back with a solid voice, as Kyouka slightly let down her gaze with a painful face.
"… Ranpo says that you knew about the future… He also said not to mention this to you in any way…"
"He did…?"
Welp, there go my trump cards for desperate time. Note to self: Never asked Ranpo to keep secret again.
"I just wanted to know… if you actually knew about this 'curse' or else…"
Kuyouka started to bite her lips while moving her gaze further away from me, which also made Atsushi's expression become darkened.
… Screwed it, it's not like I have any reasons to keep this to my grave…
"Demon Snow isn't your ability."
"Eh?"
After a while of silence, I answer with a slow yet cold voice, which even I'm surprised at. No idea what my face looks like right now, but based on her surprising face when I looked back up at me, I doubt that it would be any good to look at.
"Um… what do you mean by that, Jouno-san?"
Atsushi asked me with a concerned manner, while also keeping a distance from me with a hint of fear… Hm, is my face that horrible?
Well, whatever.
"As far as I know, there's a way to transfer ability to another person. I don't know any details on how to do it though, so don't ask."
"And in your case, Kyouka, your Demon Snow has been transplanted from your mother, the original bearer all those years ago."
I calmly explain it all to Kyouka, as her face keeps getting darker with each sentence from me.
"Why…"
Kyouka mumbled in disbelief, but I immediately assure her concern.
"She loves you, Kyouka. That's why she gives you her ability… so she won't ever leave you again."
"…"
Kyouka then fell silent after my statement, probably rethinking her whole belief after my confession. After all, who could keep their cool after knowing that their whole belief was at fault in the beginning?
She might take a while to accept this shocking revelation, but that's not my concern. Not at all.
… Come to think of it, feel like I have forgotten something…?
Oh right, the group chat. Almost forgot about it.
I quickly opened back the livestream to check for messages, and surprisingly, there's not many messages in the livestream chat.
[Saeruyama Kenichi: Holy crap! That was intense!]
[Kasumi Miwa: Indeed, not even I have the confidence to try that method.]
[Shinji Iwakura: Same here, the whole thing is too crazy to deal with…]
Huh, seems like I just impressed everyone with my little trick… Not that concerns me, even a little bit.
Still, I gotta prepare something after this whole thing. The method just now is too dangerous to pull again, especially other skiller Ability users from the Guild.
I then close the livestream, then type a message in the group chat to further secure my status to everyone.
[Jouno Tsukami: What do you guys think about the livestream?]
Not that I need any answer from everyone, but I still asked them just for the sake of killing time. Immediately after I post the message, everyone jumps into the group chat.
[Saruyama Kenichi: Yo!! Ya okay?! The whole thing was crazy!!]
[Jouno Tsukami: As you can see my man, still in one piece.]
[Kasumi Miwa: Anyway, congratulations on your victory.]
[Jouno Tsukami: Thanks, just barely make it out alive though.]
[Saruyama Kenichi: Still, you're too reckless man! You could've stuck in that room forever!]
[Jouno Tsukami: But I still make it out alive though, no biggie.]
[Saruyma Kenichi: You…]
Ah ~ Saruyama care for me, how cute ~
Although it feels a little weird to have someone I barely know at this point to concern for, I doubt that would be anything significant… I hope so.
[Jouno Tsukami: By the way, did anyone see Aya in the livestream?]
[Kasumi Miwa: Aya…? She did in the livestream, but she's been quiet for quite a while now.]
Quiet? Come to think of it, I didn't see any message from Aya at all in the chat. I thought she would be the one to express concern the most, consider that I'm in her world and her heroic mindset…
Wait.
I then slowly look back at Kyouka and Atsushi, who still keep quiet with a thoughtful expression, and silently facepalm myself…
Right, her trauma from the train events ago. Why did I forget that?
Gotta buy something to comfort her later. She should be shivering in fear by now, haunted by the figure of Demon Snow mercilessly killing everyone on its path…
…
Curs'it, why I remember that right now?
I shake my head real hard to forget what was about to show up in my head, as I look back at the unconscious Guild duo, only to raise my eyebrows.
Their position… feels a little off it would seem. I can swear that their position is further than now…
As I carefully observe their sleeping faces, my surroundings change. The grand blue sky now becomes the wall, countless toys now manifested and lying around the dimension, now have become some kind of a kindergarten.
… Shit!!
As I frantically screamed in the head, an enormous shadow suddenly shrouded my whole body, and without any more movement I suddenly lost my consciousness…
—On the outside, while both Atsushi and Kyouka are still thinking about Jouno words, a familiar yet distant person falls into their ears.
"Well, that was fun."
"?!"
Both of them immediately look back, just to see the figure of a certain carefree attitude teenager, now waving at them with a bright smile.
"What the?! Jouno?!"
Atsushi screams in distress while looking around the place, searching for the familiar figure of the newcomer. On the contrary, Kyouka slowly realized the absence of someone else, as her face immediately tensed.
"… Where is the girl?"
"Dunno, she's a quickfoot. Probably run away by now."
Twain shrugged off Kyouka's threat with a casual manner, as he slowly backward toward the edge.
"Although the game is fun… it looks like we have to keep it for another time. Toodles ~"
And with that, Twain jumped off the roof before their very eyes. And right after that, the door beside them opens, revealing the figure of a farmer boy and a tall man wearing a long coat.
"We're here—Oh?"
"… What happened?"
Both Kenji and Dazai immediately realize a gloomy yet shocking atmosphere upon reaching the floor, while Kyouka and Atsushi can only look at the spot Twain once was with a horror expression.
They've been careless… They thought they got the enemy, only for them to strike back with ease.
And worst of all, they let the Guild have a hand on Jouno, the one who claims to know the "future", who might have some crucial information.
"…"
Kyouka squinted her eyes in distress and bit her lips real hard, to the point of bleeding, blaming herself for being so careless against the Guild…